Attorney: HPD Violated Own Chase Policy
By Phil Archer
POSTED: 7:54 am CDT May 23, 2008
HOUSTON -- An attorney claimed Thursday that the Houston Police Department violated its own policy in chase that ended with a suspect's death, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Roland Carnaby, 52, died April 29 after leading police on a high-speed chase that lasted nearly an hour. Finally forced out of his car, he was shot by officers who thought he was reaching for a weapon. He wasn't, but three guns were later found in his sport utility vehicle.
Carnaby's family is suing officers and the Houston Police Department, contending the shooting was unjustified. Attorney Randal Kallinen is representing Carnaby's family.
"The Houston Police officers who chased Carnaby violated their brand new chase policy," Kallinen said.
About three weeks before Carnaby was killed, HPD revised its chase policy. It states, in part, that officers should weigh a variety of factors before initiating a chase.
"One (of the factors) is what was the original crime that was committed? Here it was speeding," Kallinen said.
Police have said that the officers were also dealing with other factors. They believed Carnaby was armed and he had claimed earlier to be a CIA agent, but was evasive when questioned.
"They also violated high-risk vehicle approach policy 600-34, which states that you must get verbal communication once a pursuit has been ended and there is a person in car. They did not. They attacked the car with batons," Kallinen said.
Once the officers stopped Carnaby's vehicle, pursuing officers surrounded it with guns drawn and finally forced him out by knocking out a window.
Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt declined to comment when asked if the officer's actions or other claims by the family's attorney constituted a policy breach.
"There is civil action that's pending (in) reference (to) that incident and we can't talk about any off the details," Hurtt said. We're still in the process of reviewing that both administratively as well as criminal because there was a death."
Carnaby told many people before his death that he was CIA agent, which his family claims is true. Hurtt said the FBI has told him that Carnaby was not employed by and government agency, but he has learned that Carnaby may have at one time been a paid informant.
Previous Stories:
May 9, 2008: Police Defend Officers In Chase Shooting
May 1, 2008: Chase Suspect's Family Stands Behind CIA Claims
April 30, 2008: Credentials Show Chase Suspect In CIA
April 30, 2008: Friend: Chase Suspect Was In Intelligence
April 29, 2008: Suspect Shot In Police Chase Dies
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